News spread across the Internet Thursday night of the sad situation at The Washington Post, where they planned to give lobbyists and trade groups private access to reporters in exchange for money. Apparently, these sources would pay money in exchange for off-the-record, conversational meetings with reporters. As soon as Politico.com broke this story, the plan was off.
This pay-for-access-to-reporters scheme is both a horrible concept (these lobbyists already use their money to influence other people) and a terrible threat to the integrity of The Washington Post. The Washington Post did the right thing in deciding to call off this plan, but it shouldn't have taken great reporting by Politico.com for the newspaper's leaders to realize the error of their ways.
In the aftermath of yesterday's disappointing news about one of the nation's biggest daily newspapers, it's important for newspaper reporters and really for all journalists to remember that there are other ways to foster conversations with sources. Whether these conversations are on the record or off, that depends on the arrangement, here are five interviewing skills that still matter in journalism.
1. Whenever possible, conduct interviews face to face. Too many journalists are resorting to e-mail and telephone interviews in story situations where deadlines and locations do permit face-to-face interviews. Face-to-face interviews provide a sense of immediacy, the ability to ask quick follow-up questions, and the chance to really observe a source's response instead of just recording it.
2. Use all available technology to reach sources. Whether it's during the process of setting up an interview or when you're conducting an interview, always remember that you have multiple ways to communicate with someone. Yes, face to face is the best technique. However; face-to-face interviews aren't always possible, and Twitter, Facebook and e-mailing are excellent ways to track down sources.
3. Don't rely solely on a recorder to document quotes. When journalists conduct telephone or face-to-face interviews, there is a tendency to rely solely on recorders to capture the interview. However; the fact that recorders operate on battery power makes them prone to problems, and there is still great importance in documenting interviews by hand. When technology fails you, you'll be happy you took notes.
4. Conduct background research prior to interviews. The worst journalist is an uninformed journalist. Never, ever, enter into an interview without at least some level of prior knowledge about the topic or subject being discussed. At the first sign that a journalist is uninformed, many sources will immediately lose some level of respect for the reporter. Do yourself a favor and actually prepare for interviews.
5. Never stick to a script in an interview. The best interviews are ones where fresh news comes to light because the reporter asked a good question, the source offered a revealing answer, or the journalist realized one of the source's answers warranted a follow-up question. It's good to prepare a basic set of key questions you want to cover in an interview, but always watch for opportunities to further explore answers given by a source.
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